Monday, 29 February 2016

Now operating out of Brooklyn NY the newly revamped Magrudergrind release “ii” with every bit of intensity that their cult following had dreamed of. Yes the songs are short and painfully sweet. Yes the vocal work is scream-shouted relentlessly. There is still a very large grind element to the music. The first four tracks come across aggressive and violent and the listener is geared up to hit the ground running. As “Relentless Hatred” belts out and goes into “Sacrificial Hire” the style change is more evident. With a focus on the heavy riffs giving foundation for the blazing rhythm/vocal attacks that follow, the listener is able to fall into the groove, even if only for a second, and is then brashly escorted into chaos, a maelstrom of drums, guitar and everything in between.

Magrudergrind – “II” "Expect the unexpected.” Words from Shane Embury on the upcoming Imperial Death March tour with the Melvins and Melt-Banana. I had reflected on these words when I first listened to Magrudergrind’s newest release on the heels of a six year hiatus and line up change. Now operating out of Brooklyn NY the newly revamped Magrudergrind release “II” with every bit of intensity that their cult following had dreamed of.

Kurt Ballou and GodCity Studio certainly had a hand in this (…”Ballou has done it again…” as I read elsewhere), but the true craft and shine of “II” comes from the meticulous intensity of its members. The notable difference in “II” and previous Magrudergrind recordings is that there is no longer the use of samples in the music. In fact, it’s much more of a “Bridge Burner” (Magrudergrind – “self titled”) feel overall. Yes the songs are short and painfully sweet. Yes the vocal work is scream-shouted relentlessly. There is still a very large grind element to the music. The first four tracks come across aggressive and violent and the listener is geared up to hit the ground running. As “Relentless Hatred” belts out and goes into “Sacrificial Hire” the style change is more evident. With a focus on the heavy riffs giving foundation for the blazing rhythm/vocal attacks that follow, the listener is able to fall into the groove, even if only for a second, and is then brashly escorted into chaos, a maelstrom of drums, guitar and everything in between.

The album isn’t about the fast songs in my opinion. With tracks like “Black Banner” and “Unit 731” intermittently throughout “II” the emphasis seems to be much more with the slow groove that is being spread among the faster acts. As I had touched on previously, Pig Destroyer gave us “Mass and Volume”, Agoraphobic Nosebleed is in the heat of a multi EP series featuring a focus on each member, and now Magrudergrind “slow down” with “II”. Slow isn’t the right way to characterize it, however. Structured. Intense. Deliberate. Everything that you hear was put there on purpose.

Magrudergrind’s” II” is an impeccable album in that regard. Time changes everything. Six years has given change to Magrudergrind. Typical to the polarization that comes with a band’s stylistic change, Magrudergrind’s revamped sound is not for everyone. Of course you’ll find purists wherever you go but there really is enjoyment for any fan in “II”. With the rebirth of a band comes tentative new territory, undiscovered styles and dynamics, a newly realized space for even more growth. Magrudergrind is back up and running and despite adopting some slower rhythms, they show absolutely no signs of slowing down.

“Ezekiel’s Hags” contains a vile amalgamation of death metal, sludge
metal, and doom metal influences to create abrasive and noisy instrumentals. The transitions between styles very much feel
carefully crafted and meticulously created and the band constantly keeps your
attention as the next phases of songs unfold, creating a record that is
grotesque and pummeling.

“Ezekiel’s Hag” CD//DD//LP
track listing:

1). Jones

2). Denounce

3). Gutter

4). Plateau

5). Brother’s River

6). Prey

7). Third Season

8). Sacred Prostitute

9). Ud-Nun

10). War Master

11). Bastard Son (Bonus Track)

The Review:

“Ezekiel’s Hags” is the third record from Seven Sisters of
Sleep and their first on legendary metal label Relapse Records. The
band promised to be heavier and gnarlier than ever before and on that aspect
the record definitely delivers. “Ezekiel’s
Hags” contains a vile amalgamation of death metal, sludge metal, and doom
metal influences to create abrasive and noisy instrumentals. Seven Sisters of Sleep are very much a multi-faceted band
and most of these songs transition between slower doom, heavy sludge, and
frenetic death metal paces which give the record a generous amount of
diversity. “Ezekiel’s Hags” is not
always moving at a breakneck pace but the record can be an exhausting
experience because it exercises so many different ideas at once. The
transitions between styles very much feel carefully crafted and meticulously
created and the band constantly keeps your attention as the next phases of songs unfold. Seven Sisters of Sleep very much did create a record that
is overly grotesque and pummeling, but it is not without showing off some
catchy sludge riffs as well. Tracks like “War
Master” and “Denounce” feature
some well written and pleasurable riffs which offer brief moments of relief
amongst all the catharsis.

The most
unrelenting and harsh portions of this record come from the vocal performance
of Tim McClary. McClary offers a harrowing performance on this album. His vocal
inflections are numerous, yet always carry a large amount of weight and
exasperation in their delivery. There is a real sense of rage and torture
behind his groans and shrieks that give the record an overwhelming feeling of
despair and hopelessness. “Ezekiel’s
Hags” becomes the nightmare it sets out to be in large part due to
McClary’s brilliant and harsh vocals.

“Ezekiel’s Hags” does suffer from a bit of a lack of identity. The
different styles and paces are well balanced, but occasionally that works
against the record. Tracks such as “Prey”
has a great sludge riff, but the band insists on speeding up the tempo only to
slow it down again seemingly just to conform to their own identity. It makes Seven Sisters of Sleep harder to classify which can be a
good thing, but at times less enjoyable as well. The tempo change goes straight
into high gear when something slower would have felt a bit more cohesive and
less predictable. By the end of the record the formula Seven Sisters of
Sleep have put together is more exposed, but that hardly means that
the formula is not effective. Big riffs and speed serve their purpose to create
a tense, cramped, and hectic atmosphere. The familiarity of the song structures
just remove a bit of the venom this record initially bites with.

Saturday, 27 February 2016

This record
has the potential to speak to many of us heavy rock fans despite its level of
sentiment and sparse use of instrumentation. There’s passion and well-placed
emotion that resonates through these songs. They’re deliciously fragile because
of it. If that’s your thing; if you can appreciate singers baring their soul
with nothing more than an acoustic guitar as accompaniment, then this one’s for
you.

“Future Fables” CD//DD//LP
track listing:

1. Hole

2. Piece Of Heaven

3. Killer

4. Spin

5. Wake Up

6. Empire

7. Golden Future

8. Slide

9. No Easy Way

10. Fools

11. Strange Alchemy

12. Make Some Room

The Review:

On “Future Fables,” we have Conny Ochs and his guitar taking a seat next to us on the
couch. That’s how close and personal these twelve tracks feel. He has the
capability to hush the crowd and demand attention without needing to stomp on a
distortion pedal or rip his vocal chords to ribbons.

There’s
nothing psychedelic here and if it’s heavy you’re looking for then you’ll find
it in the mood and not the tones. “Piece
of Heaven” plays out to a familiar song structure – interchangeable verses
and choruses – and uses a full band to do this. “Fools” does the opposite by employing its verses to set the stage
for the chorus, and does this successfully with just two guitars and powerful
vocals. Ochs’ best qualities come out in “Killer,” a song with finger snapping,
light drumming and a bluesy walk around the guitar. Though the song threatens
to break out in the chorus, it never does and that’s one of its strengths. “Spin” uses beautiful vocal harmonies to
call the listener to “put your hard rock music on,” which
hints at Ochs’ underlying influence.

Despite his
hard rock soul, these are gentle songs that are soft to the touch and therefore
inviting. It’s only once the listener allows himself to be enveloped by Ochs’ voice, lyrics, and overall presence that the
melancholy rises to the surface. This puts Ochs firmly into the
category “singer-songwriter” but he’s able to stray from the drek that the
mainstream pushes our way and thus avoids sounding like a limp dick resting up
against your ear. Instead, Ochs flexes his muscles
by using his acoustic guitar to tame the beast that is an emotionally wrought
songwriter.

This record
has the potential to speak to many of us heavy rock fans despite its level of
sentiment and sparse use of instrumentation. There’s passion and well-placed
emotion that resonates through these songs. They’re deliciously fragile because
of it. If that’s your thing; if you can appreciate singers baring their soul
with nothing more than an acoustic guitar as accompaniment, then this one’s for
you.

If you can handle the programmed drums, you’re in for 17 minutes of
truly fantastic music. The riffs here are remarkable. Lead off instrumental “Too Late” is mid tempo
heavy metal bliss, perfectly striking a balance between 80s Judas Priest with
European-style melody a sound that returns for “On the Unknown Self They Ride”.
Elsewhere, we’re treated to a muscular speed metal/power metal hybrid on “A
Place to Rest the Dead Inside is Never to Be Found”, complete with locomotive
double kick. The quality here is best of
the year list-worthy, if given the kind of production this music truly
deserves.

‘Invocation of the Miserable Ones’ DD track listing:

1.
Too Late

2.
A Place to Rest the Dead Inside is Never to Be Found

3.
On the Unknown Self They Ride

4.
Invocation of the Miserable Ones

The Review:

This
review, much like this EP, will be quick and to the point.

Rebel Wizard’s a one-man
operation, and it sounds like it. I don’t mean that in a negative context,
either. What I mean is that outside of a handful of exceptions, you’re not
going to find too many solitary metal projects that sound like full-fledged
bands. The vast majority of musicians
aren’t going to be able to play drums, bass, guitar and do vocals all at a high
level in a studio setting. So, some concessions end up getting made, and you
work with what you can, because there either aren’t suitable band mates in your
area, or you just don’t fucking like other people. Whichever the personal case
may be when talking about NKSV and Rebel Wizard, the one
big concession at work here is drums and drum programming. If you’re able to
deal with some pretty barebones, obviously programmed drums, you’re going to
love the hell out of this album. If not, it’s going to be a tough sell.

If
you can handle the programmed drums, you’re in for 17 minutes of truly
fantastic music. The riffs here are remarkable. Lead off instrumental “Too Late” is mid tempo heavy metal
bliss, perfectly striking a balance between 80s Judas Priest
with European-style melody a sound that returns for “On the Unknown Self They Ride”. Elsewhere, we’re treated to a
muscular speed metal/power metal hybrid on “A Place to Rest the Dead Inside is Never to Be Found”, complete
with locomotive double kick. The vocals are done in a black metal style with
added distortion layer on top for added filth, which gives the EP a sense of
old Witchery by way of Anaal Nathrakh.

The
larger point is that these are riffs that deserve better than to be discounted
because of their sonic surroundings. I would urge you strongly to do your best
to accept or look past the mechanical sound of the drums, because these songs
are absolutely worth the effort. The quality here is best of the year
list-worthy, if given the kind of production this music truly deserves. Still,
I understand the circumstances that lead to this kind of recording quality, and
it’s usually out of necessity rather than lack of effort.

Friday, 26 February 2016

“Mesmerize” sets the tone for events to come. The band launch
straight into a rumbling, menacing riff, like Tool jamming with The Jesus
Lizard while Shellac look on approvingly. This track exemplifies what Bloodiest
do so well on this LP; relentless repetition of a phrase, letting it slowly
transform while building towards a furious climax. They manage to do this in a
fluid, hypnotic fashion, avoiding the pitfalls of obvious quiet/loud
dynamics. There is a lot of great, heavy
music around today, but it’s rare to hear something as fresh and compelling as
this LP. Bloodiest have crafted an incredible piece of work here, challenging
without being difficult and crushing without always resorting to amplification-overload.

“Bloodiest” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1).
Mesmerize

2).
The Widow

3).
Condition

4).
Broken Teeth

5).
Mind Overlaps

6).
He Is Disease

7).
Separation

8).
Suffer

The Review:

“Supergroups” inspire high
expectations. In the case of Bloodiest’s new
self-titled LP these preconceptions are met and then some. The Chicago band
features current and former members of a diverse array of awesome acts such as Yakuza, Russian Circles, Minsk and 90 Day Men. As well as
sounding like a perfectly proportioned mix of these other projects, the
brilliance of this album eclipses all their previous work.

The record begins with the aptly titled “Mesmerize”, setting the tone for events
to come. The band launch straight into a rumbling, menacing riff, like Tool jamming with The Jesus Lizard while Shellac look on approvingly. This track exemplifies what Bloodiest do so well on this LP; relentless repetition of a
phrase, letting it slowly transform while building towards a furious climax.
They manage to do this in a fluid, hypnotic fashion, avoiding the pitfalls of
obvious quiet/loud dynamics.

Tracks like “Broken Teeth” and “He Is
Disease” hit a perfect middle ground between weighty, metal attack and
jagged, noise-rock angularity. The latter is the heaviest number here, melding
huge Melvins riffs to the widescreen ambition of Swans with restless math-rock touches creeping in as time
progresses.

The highlight of the album comes when Bloodiest venture furthest from the realms of metal. “The Widow” begins with a minimal bass
and drums throb, soon joined by eerie acoustic guitar and piano. The track then
slowly unfurls over its 8-minute duration as an epic, brooding slow-burn. Bruce
Lamont’s vocals are strong throughout the album but they really come into their
own here, his half-spoken croon, heightening the drama. The overall effect is
like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds taking on the
gothic darkness of Oxbow’s “Serenade in Red”.

There is a lot of great, heavy music around
today, but it’s rare to hear something as fresh and compelling as this LP. Bloodiest have crafted an incredible piece of work here,
challenging without being difficult and crushing without always resorting to
amplification-overload.

“Dead Dawn”, I am pleased to
report, rocks harder than the first record. “Midas In Reverse” sees LG Petrov
on fine form and the band thrashing away- what a relief! The title track mixes
pummelling double bass drums with doomy sections as well as triplet time feel-
excellent. There are acoustic intros here, a gnarly guitar sound, live sounding
drums and the likes of “Total Death”
are short sharp shocks compared to more downbeat material like “As The World Fell”. There is a heavier vibe and sound to this
album than the last release and the band should be commended for building and
moving forwards. Of course, if you enjoy Entombed in any or all its forms, this
album is a must.

“Dead Dawn” CD//DD//LP track listing:

01. Midas In Reverse (03:55)

02. Dead Dawn (04:07)

03. Down To Mars To Ride (04:50)

04. As The World Fell (05:30)

05. Total Death (02:28)

06. The Winner Has Lost (03:53)

07. Silent Assassin (03:55)

08. Hubris Fall (04:49)

09. Black Survival (03:07)

10. Not What It Seems (03:40)

The Review:

Entombed AD, the continuation/alternative/new
version/totally different band-take your pick- of Entombed,
return with this sophomore effort. Their debut, whilst good, did not rock quite
as hard as I would have liked (that is to say, much harder than “Same Difference” but a country mile
away from “Wolverine Blues” and not
even on the same continent as “Left Hand
Path”).

“Dead Dawn”, I am pleased
to report, rocks harder than the first record. “Midas In Reverse” sees LG Petrov on fine form and the band
thrashing away- what a relief! The title track mixes pummelling double bass
drums with doomy sections as well as triplet time feel- excellent. There are
acoustic intros here, a gnarly guitar sound, live sounding drums and the likes
of “Total Death” are short sharp shocks compared to more
downbeat material like “As The World Fell”. The
rolling tanks sound of the mid 90's returns on “The Winner Has Lost” (good
lead work too) and it is a reminder that Entombed really did
carve their own niche. Sure, contemporaries Dismember
and Grave may have rounded out an unholy trinity
at the start of all their careers, but in developing the death 'n' roll sound, Entombed moved forwards in a way that other bands did not.

There
is more mid tempo stuff and doom style riffage than you might expect as the
album progresses- how much you enjoy this may be informed by exactly what you
are expecting and what “your” Entombed happens to be.
The likes of “Black Survival” put
the pedal to the metal, though, and for me it is on this type of material that
the band shine brightest. By the time “Not
What It Seems” opens up with piano and acoustic guitar, you should be
convinced that the band is on form and operating at full whack. Certainly, I
prefer this album to “Back to the Front”
but I don't rate it as highly as the early 90's classics. There is a heavier
vibe and sound to this album than the last release and the band should be
commended for building and moving forwards. Of course, if you enjoy Entombed in any or all its forms, this album is a must.

Helsinki trio Albinö Rhino plays a fluid form of heavy psych exploration on
their new single “Uphold the Light Part
II.” Part I was the 14 minute closer of their 2014 self-titled sophomore
outing and rumor has it that Part III will make the scene later this year as
the B-Side to Part II.

Albinö Rhino’s sound is wide and colorful like the vast expanse of
the ocean on a hot summer day yet strangely fitting for late night smoke outs
in the dead of winter. Part II takes off from Part I, and calms the mood down a
little by carving out a niche somewhere between the monotony of Death Hawks and the grittiness of Colour Haze.
A driving bass line and repetitive drumming is what pulls this song through its
twenty minutes, allowing the guitars
to lightly jump and skip around this rhythmic foundation. For those looking for
a jam to get lost in, be sure to check this mind-bender out.

Their Bandcamp page hosts part I, Part II is out now,
and we’ll just have to wait patiently for Part III.

Thursday, 25 February 2016

Dirty like water from a flophouse drain. Like your sludge blackened
and charred? Here you go guy. Revel in this muck. Choke on its abrasive grit,
and let it close about you head. Let it absorb you.

“Primitive Man/Northless” DD//LP track listing:

1).
Primitive Man – “Empty Husk”

2).
Northless – “Deleted Heaetstrings”

3).
Northless – “The 10,000 Year Wound”

4).
Northless – “Wasted Breathe”

The Review

From the moment you hit play, you are now in their
territory and Primitive Man opens with the thudding “Empty Husk”, running at 15 minutes, it
could be a 7" by itself. It drags an axe behind it, slowly, inexorably
chasing you to the ground, as you hear and see the sparks from the concrete
shower from the weapon they wield. Bands of this caliber usually thunder, or
bludgeon the listener, but PM simply brings a rasp
and some time, to wear away, patiently, the walls of your mind. They have one
of the most hideously discordant sounds I am aware of, but it just rolls so
naturally, like a blanket made of distortion, all the while bloody clowns beat
you with the drums. Vocally, it’s just a tormented soul wailing with a throat
filled with viscous liquid, telling you everything you've ever done wrong. They
have crafted one of the bleakest standalone tracks ever, and it's both wondrous
and frightening as to how good it feels....

In more logical words, they play with zero
upbeat energy. It is completely scathing, a bleak opus to the missing part
inside us all. The guitar tones alone have no give, they simply pull tight as
steel cable around your lungs, and pull taught, while the rhythmic portion
simply crashes into you, just as hard as if you were standing right in front of
the kit. They play very physically on this track, and let their vocalist, for
this could never be in the same hemisphere as actual singing, simply put a
torch to your expectations. It's literally the same hopeless feeling that you
have when you see something crashing at you, unstoppable, and unrelenting. It's
a truly crushing track.

Northless
give none at all, after the crawl through barbed wire that PM give
you, with 3 tracks coming at you faster and just as heavy. A much angrier
sound, instead of a forlorn howl, Northless unleash a
very punked up sludge sound, with a clearer delivery musically. They simply
come at you with a hammer, and a metric ton of energy, giving you a long and
deep earful of pure, spiteful aggression. They have that lovely crunch in a
typically progressive sound, with tons of bends and chords. It's a delightfully
constructive chaos to the ear. It's the jangle of a mob getting ready to break
pretty much everything at hand, and getting really excited for it.

Northless
are a bit like a slower, methodical Brutal Truth or Napalm Death, and I really like their attack in three
parts, “Deleted Heartstrings”, “The 10,000 Year Wound”, and “Wasted Breath”. It comes at you fast,
pounding as the uniform steps of a conquering army would; heavy, without pause,
and simply heralding the end. Northless will grind
you into dust and leave you to smoulder where you fall.

This split has you choose between the abyss and
the spears at your back, and you will love either death you choose first.

The new album 'Asexual Anger' from French heavyweights Love Sex
Machine is like a KGB torture programme. Each strum of the strings, each hit of
the drums, each vocal has been meticulously thought out and methodically
delivered to inflict maximum impact each time. Whatever information it is you
have, you'd better confess! This follow
up to 2014's self titled debut, is a stark reminder that LSM are equipped with
all the right tools to punish; your eardrums will be very pleased indeed.

“Asexual Anger” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1).
Asexual Anger

2).
Drone Syndrome

3).
Black Mountain

4).
Aujeszky

5).
Devolution

6).
Atrocity

7).
Infernal Spiral

8).
Silent Duck

The Review

The new album 'Asexual Anger' from French heavyweights Love Sex Machine
is like a KGB torture programme. Each strum of the strings, each hit of the
drums, each vocal has been meticulously thought out and methodically delivered
to inflict maximum impact each time. Whatever information it is you have, you'd
better confess!

From the slow and painful bamboo under the
fingernails of the opening title track, it's clear that this band is not
messing about. The sound is bass heavy and you can hear and feel each string
being hammered. The slightly disjointed 'Drone
Syndrome' and the slower, suffocating 'Black
Mountain' follow up the barrage of torture. The brilliant 'Aujezsky' adds elements of post
hardcore to the mix and reminds me a little of Hogslayer's
2015 effort in its riffing and solid drumming. By the end of the track you'll
be feeling like a political dissident, starved of food and sunlight. 'Devolution' is where things get
serious. Your captors are getting serious. The tools are out and you're about
to experience some real pain.

'Atrocity' stabs and kicks with real menace and purpose, you'll be
beginning to feel as though death may be your salvation...but your captors will
not let you off that easy! Then final tracks 'Infernal Spiral' and 'Silent
Duck' draw things to a crushing conclusion; the former, a final
violent burst of reckless abandon and the latter the end result; you're no use
to society now. You're off to spend your final days medicated to the eyeballs
in one of the state's best asylums. You may have information on the government,
but no one will believe you now.

Band Submissions

To those bands who have recently issued their first demo or album via bandcamp and would like to be featured on our 666 Pack Review or considered for a full review or stream please contact Aaron via email including your EPK, band bio, album file or download code, including artwork.

To those bands issuing their sophomore record and so on and would like to be considered for a review or stream on the blog. Get in touch using the same address above

We will consider bands from any genre but exclusively stoner, sludge, doom, psych, post-metal, experimental, black-metal etc. (Whilst I would like to respond to every email, this is not always possible.) Thanks